


infiltration

by xigithy



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:41:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23054896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xigithy/pseuds/xigithy
Summary: Isa and Lea attempt to break into the castle of Radiant Garden.But you know what they say about curiosity and the cat...
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21
Collections: Moon Shine Down: A Saix Fanzine





	infiltration

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Moon, Shine Down- a Saix-centric zine which you can find on Twitter @saixzine!

The first time they conspired to sneak into the castle, it was a mission borne of two adolescents’ _insatiable_ curiosity. Radiant Garden had long since been a benevolent home to them, but the wonders locked away within the labyrinthine walls of Ansem the Wise’s castle- wonders made more curious by the dark rumors that often swirled around them- proved far too great a temptation for the duo of Lea and Isa to simply ignore. 

Their first attempt at sating their inquisitiveness had been the most direct one. One summer day, when the air was still warm and sweet, and while they were free from the shackles of school, the boys strode up to the castle gates; empty-handed and with maybe half a plan between them, they slipped within the bars of the gate surrounding the grounds and crept up the winding stone staircase to the door of the manor. 

Suffice it to say that they had not been expecting the guards. 

The pair of men- massive, hulking guardians and apprentices themselves to Ansem the Wise- had clocked the boys’ approach long before they’d even finished their hurried ascent on the gates, and were grabbing the two by their scruff and tossing them off the estate before either Lea or Isa knew what was happening. 

Their subsequent attempts often fared no better. Though they schemed for hours and days at a time, arriving at the gates with foolhardy plans and grandiose ideas to steal into the bowels of the castle, most days they would be caught before they even set foot on the smooth cobblestone of the castle courtyard. But some days, days few and far between, fate would smile on them and Lea and Isa would slip past the guards, making it inside and into the grand foyer of the place.

But as it turned out, getting _into_ the castle was the easy part.

The first of their successful infiltrations into the interior of the castle was put to a stop almost immediately. As they slipped through the front door to the palace, the grand foyer welcomed them openly, with flights of stairs that spiraled up and off to parts unknown and with row upon row of sturdy looking doors. Isa had been the first one to act, pouncing on the door closest to them and yanking it open, and was likewise the first of them to come in contact with _him_. A third of the castle’s guards- this one Isa had never seen before- stood leaning against the door frame, singular eye glinting in the low light of the room and smarmy smile, far too wide for his face, smirking down at them.

He had kicked them out before either of them could get a word in.

And for some reason, _that_ had been the tipping point for Isa. Something about the way Braig- as he had been called by the other two guards- had dragged them out by their ears, tossing them unceremoniously across the threshold- something about the saccharine, insincere way he had crooned, “You boys come back now,” at the pair as he slinked away, laughing to himself- had filled the young boy with a determination beyond what he had ever felt before. It cemented his belief that whatever was going on within the castle walls, it was something not meant for the prying eyes of children, and that made Isa want all the more to know what secrets were being kept from him and the innocent inhabitants of his home.

So they returned, day after day, week after week- each time with a different plan, a different scheme to slip past the castle’s posted sentries. Most of them failed, of course; the harebrained plans of two teenage boys were no match for the wits of the castle sentinels who were, above all else, apprentices to Ansem the Wise and researchers themselves. And on the rare occasion that the two actually secured entry to the labyrinthine palace, _he_ was always there waiting for them as soon as they stepped foot over the threshold. No matter the time of day, and no matter how _silent_ they were upon entering, Braig was always there to stop the boys- with a casually smug aura about him that almost suggested that he had been _waiting_ for them.

Their break _finally_ came one day, weeks deep into the gloomy embrace of fall.

Storm clouds had gathered over the perpetually radiant skies of their homeworld, and the rain had been falling for days on end; Lea and Isa had been walking home from school on this particular day, huddled together to fight the chill of the cool air against their rain-soaked clothes. It had been days since their last attempted infiltration, nearing on a week, but still- it was all Isa could think about. What was going on in the castle that prompted such a vigilant watch over its grounds? What rumored unethical horrors- propagated by the cries of human suffering that would call out in the dead of night- were being locked away within the walls? 

They passed the castle gates as lightning struck one of the taller towers on the estate. Something in the flashing lights, in the rolling rumble of thunder- far too loud to be natural- called to Isa, bid him slip through the metal bars gates and up the winding path to the front door.

And on this particular day, for some unknown reason, there were no guards posted at the entrance. 

Lea refused to believe the front door remained totally neglected and posited as much to Isa as the blue-haired boy reached for the door’s great brass handle. _Surely_ Aeleus and Dilain were around- just out of view and waiting for someone stupid enough to try and enter the Castle; _surely_ Braig was lurking, concealed in the harsh shadows cast by the lanterns hung along the dreary stone walls of the gates, just waiting to pounce on any unsuspecting intruders. Surely… and yet. There was a knot in the pit of Isa’s stomach, a desperate, pleading desire to _know_ \- to sate his curiosity once and for all- that compelled him to swing the door open and creep inside. 

Yet again, there were no guards to stop them. Although, if there _were_ someone waiting for them inside, Lea and Isa could hardly see them; the storm had knocked the power out, and the only light within the grand hall came from the occasional flash of lightning through the windows and the feeble flickering of candles that lined the walls of the entryway and off to parts unknown. With a deep, shaky breath they pressed on silently, nothing to guide them but tenuous candlelight and their own faltering sense of direction. 

In the midst of their deep silence, at the heart of the castle’s labyrinth, they wandered upon what appeared to be a massive staircase and, again, something seemed to call to Isa and bid him descend into the bowels of the castle. Clinging to each other, Lea and Isa began their descent and- as they took step after tentative step, Isa couldn’t shake the growing feeling they were being _watched_. Like some unknown eye was gazing down upon the pair, silent and yet deafening with its judgment upon them. Lea felt it too, and the red-haired boy seemed to cling tighter to Isa with each step they took down into the basement.

Down below, the candles had been all but extinguished and there was very little natural light to speak of.  
But even as they strained their eyes, squinting into the dim lighting, the boys could see the depths of the castle were less a basement, and more akin to a dungeon. The cold stone walls were interspersed with massive wrought-iron cages. Whether or not they were inhabited, Isa couldn’t say- and neither of them was jumping to call out to see if anyone- or anything- would respond. As they shuffled forward, keeping as close to the center of the walkway as humanly possible, a shiver ran down the length of Isa’s spine, and for a split second, he could feel another presence in the black with them. 

A metallic _**clang** _rang out then, shattering the nervous silence between them, and the boys’ anxious grips on each other tightened considerably. A creaking, like rusty metal on metal, filled the area and they knew at that moment that coming here had been a mistake. Whatever was down below the castle- _whoever_ was down here- was not worth the sheer terror that seemed to charge the very atmosphere. Whatever curiosity that had compelled them to seek out the answers of the castle, had long since been replaced with panic and deep-seated dread that seemed only to compel them to **_get out, now_** , while they still had the chance to run.

Lea and Isa turned, groping in the low light for anything that would help guide them back from whence they came- back up the winding staircase and back to the safety of light when- softly, suddenly- a girl’s voice called out to them.

“...hello?”

**Author's Note:**

> This was my contribution to the _Moon, Shine Down_ Saix zine that recently closed! 
> 
> This project was my first time running a zine and honestly, I had such a good time overseeing so many talented contributors. Check out @saixzine on twitter to view everyone else's work!
> 
> Edit: I've been gifted some _beautiful_ fanart on Twitter, which you can check out [here](https://twitter.com/skeletonsynth/status/1237639402043478017?s=20). Thank you so, SO much to twitter user [skeletonsynth](https://twitter.com/skeletonsynth) for this, I'll treasure it always!


End file.
